When comparing the Japanese watchmaking industry with the Swiss one, there are parallels with the automobile industry. The Japanese do not make such luxurious and super expensive cars as Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and Maybach. However, in the middle price segment it is difficult to find equals Toyota, Nissan, Honda - both in terms of price / quality ratio, and simply in quality.
The situation is approximately the same with the clock. Japanese manufacturers of ticking products are not like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, etc., they do not make watches comparable in value to supercars or yachts. But Japanese wristwatches are guaranteed quality. To paraphrase an old Soviet slogan, we can say: Japanese means great!
In the second half of the 10th century, the “Big Three Hours” formed in Japan - Seiko, Orient and Citizen. Today - about Citizen, and first - XNUMX curious facts about the brand.
- Year of birth: 1918. Place of birth: Tokyo. Founding Father: Kamekishi Yamazaki, jeweler. Birth name: 尚 工 舎 時 計 研究所. It is pronounced as "sokosha tokei kenkiyosho", and it is translated as the Institute for the Development of Watches.
- The early childhood of the brand was leisurely. Not because of a lag in development - they just approached the matter with incredible diligence! The first watch of the Institute (pocket) appeared in 1924.
- With the light hand of the then mayor of Tokyo, this watch was named Citizen - a city dweller, a citizen.
- 6 years later (in 1930) the Institute was transformed into the Citizen Watch Co company, and a year later the first wrist watches of this brand were released.
- By the 1960s, Citizen and Seiko controlled over 80% of the domestic Japanese watch market. These are very large volumes - in terms of them, Japan was second only to Switzerland and the USSR.
- In the mid-1960s, the company released the first electronic watch, the Citizen X8.
- 1976 saw the introduction of the first solar-powered Citizen watch.
- All Citizen watches are powered by "engines" developed and manufactured by the company itself, be it mechanics or quartz.
- The modern "face" of Citizen is the patented Eco-Drive technology. The solar panel is hidden from the user's eyes here. And the term "solar" is conditional: the technology provides the clock with energy from almost any source of light, both natural and artificial.
- One of the main achievements of the brand in the global market should be considered the creation of the Citizen Group, which includes Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd (parent company), as well as Swiss Arnold & Son, Frederique Constant and Alpina, American Bulova, Japanese Q&Q.
And now - some interesting Citizen watch models. There are 7 of them in the selection, so I want to say: a magnificent seven. But no, they are Japanese ... So, seven samurai? Also not, because the first one is not Japanese, but Japanese.
Citizen EM0576-80A.
Outwardly, everything is simple: 30-mm steel case, three arrows. However, firstly, it is quite elegant - IP-coverage (the finest gilding); Milanese bracelet; exquisite looking dial with Roman numerals and original indexes; rich branded engraving of the back cover. And secondly, inside there is a quartz Citizen E031 Caliber and that same Eco-Drive, and a full charge will last for six months of proper operation in complete darkness.
Citizen JY8020-52E.
The exact opposite: a very brutal model equipped with many features. There is a chronograph (accuracy up to 1/100 sec.), And a countdown timer, and two alarms, and an automatic calendar (accurate until February 29, 2100), and world time, and automatic correction of the exact time by radio signal, and an indicator of functions. And also - a pilot slide rule, which allows you to control the remaining fuel in order to confidently fly to the desired airfield ... No wonder the model is called Promaster Sky! Well, Eco-Drive is in place (240 hours of energy in the dark), and the Citizen U680 quartz movement. What is very important - the 45-mm case and bracelet are made of titanium, so the complete watch weighs only 45 g. The water resistance is 200 m, so you can safely go diving. The black dial is protected by a sapphire crystal. All in all, a great thing! Accordingly, the price is higher than the others we have chosen for the review.
Citizen NY0086-16L.
But this Promaster is a pure diver, a classic, steel watch (diameter 41,6 mm) on the automatic Citizen 8203 Caliber with a 42-hour power reserve, hours, minutes, seconds, date and day of the week display. The model fully meets the requirements of the international diving standard ISO 6425: water resistance - up to 200 m; the fluted bezel, equipped with a large 12 o'clock index, 60-minute digitization and a dedicated range from 0 to 15 minutes, rotates only counterclockwise; hands and markers on the dark blue dial are luminescent; case back and crown are screwed down. It is worth noting the shape of the hands, somewhat reminiscent of a Rolex, and, most importantly, the crown on the left side of the case. The latter not only adapts the model to the preferences of left-handers, but also emphasizes its professional character: after all, people who work seriously at depths have their left wrist busy with other important instruments. The rubber strap is perforated, which makes the watch comfortable on land in hot weather.
Citizen NH9120-88A.
Also mechanics, also self-winding (Citizen caliber 8220), but of a completely different character - emphasized urban. Let us remind you that one of the translations of the word Citizen itself is “citizen”. Functionally, the model is not particularly complicated - three arrows and nothing else. But the 41-mm case (water-resistant up to 100 m) and the bracelet are made of titanium (the watch is part of the Super Titanium collection), the intricately finished dial is protected by a sapphire crystal, the case back is transparent (you can admire the work of the mechanism and, in particular, the self-winding rotor of the "proprietary" yellow color). And the main feature is an open balance, i.e. a window on the dial, in which the 3-hertz oscillations of the balance / spiral node, which sets the course of the watch, are visible.
Citizen AW1240-57L and Citizen CA0700-86L.
Two more Super Titaniums. We have combined them as they clearly form a pair. The first is a 42-mm three-pointer with a date on a Citizen J810 caliber, the second is a 43-mm chronograph on a Citizen B612. There is a lot in common: both quartz movements (energy reserve 240 and 210 days, respectively), Eco-Drive technology, sapphire crystal, engraved screw-down case back, elegantly decorated blue dial, luminescent hands and indexes, case water resistance 100 m.
Citizen AW1620-13X.
It may seem strange, but this watch, the cheapest in the collection, is our favorites in it. Three hands and date, Citizen J810 quartz movement just mentioned, Eco-Drive. Moreover, the case is steel (the same 42 mm in diameter and 100 m of water resistance), also with an engraved screw back cover, and the glass is completely mineral. Why is the model so attractive? Design, style! The gradient green dial with beautifully written Arabic numerals looks very nice (they, like the hands, are luminescent). And the brown calfskin strap is harmoniously combined with it. No, well, really: Japanese means excellent!
